The Waking Land
by sydrians
Summary: Dimitri knows what he is. He knows he's the undead. He knows that Rose will kill him. But he doesn't know that miracles do occur.
1. Bring Me To Life

**This the first chapter! Dissapointed? Don't be, I have the whole story written in a book, and I'm a fast typer (I take BVE class ;D )**

**The next chapter might be up tomorrow or today!**

**And you can read 'Blood Promise' in that time, then you could have a couple of different perspectives on the story!**

**You probably don't wanna review, so I won't force you!**

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My senses pricked and shot up.

My body felt stronger.

My skin tightened.

My teeth ached.

My canines grew.

My eyes shifted.

I grew.

I pained.

I healed.

I was the undead.

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**I'm starting to type out the next chapter now! *applaud***

**Okay, so what do you think's gonna happen next?**


	2. The Ghost Of You

**I guess this chapter is a little more interesting than the last ;)**  
**It took me so long to type, I was getting so distracted, sorry!**

**Okay, when I wrote this (last year) I didn't know that Richelle's Strigoi don't sleep, so shh!**

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All I remembered before forcibly passing out was violence, blood and fighting, so, so much fighting. Being tackled to the ground. Hearing screaming. A familiar scream. Roza. Looking frantically for her. Seeing her struggle against her mother. Strigoi blocking my vision and then pain, numbness and fatigue. Blackness. Total utter blackness.

I'd felt the changes as I had been unconscious. I'd felt every spasm and every flinch. I knew I was turning into a Strigoi, I could feel it in my bones. I cried for the life I was losing and the new life I was about to live, but most of all, for the girl who I was losing forever. My precious, lovely, fierce, compassionate, beautiful Roza. The only person who gave me life again, who took the loneliness and dread out of my days in one sweep. Every day I would wake up, anticipating the small smiles she would always give, or even the glares when she was upset at me. Oh, how I loved her and yet, how could I never bring myself to tell her how much I really cared, how very much I loved everything about her?

_Well_, I thought scathingly, _you're going to have to get used to it, buddy. She'd gone, and you're never going to see her again. _I sobbed after that disturbing thought, and suddenly felt wide awake and ready to spring up, forgetting my other thoughts. I was being slapped awake by somebody.

"_Belikov!_ Wake up!" A voice was shouting. At first I thought that everything was a dream and I was finally waking up, but I managed to tear my eyes open and survey my surroundings.

Damn, damn, damn.

It would've been nice to rouse to somewhere familiar, but, no that was just not to be apparently. I focused my eyes around the area, and the first thing I caught was the boy standing over me.

He had ruffled blonde hair and his face was a pale, chalky white. His eyes, oh, his eyes were a shade of green, but ringed around pupil was a deep, crimson red. I remembered sparring with him in that cave, and I was so very close to killing that bastard.

"Finally. Belikov, the first thing I'm going to tell you is that you are a Strigoi, and since I am your creator, you will listen to me and always do what I command."

"Screw you," I spat with an attitude that reminded me of Rose.

"Sassy, huh? Whatever. The next thing I will tell you is that you want blood." The moment he said that, my heart started to beat faster. I was still feeling my body shift and change, and right now all I craved was any liquid that was thick, satisfying and drinkable. My hand absently came to my throat, waiting for this boy to give me something, anything!

"We will hunt when night comes. And of course, you know we don't go out into the sunlight!"

"Of course." I took a fleeting glance around this small, confined space, consisting of only me and the Strigoi now. "Where am I?"

"We're still in the cave. The transformation doesn't take very long. Our enemies have retreated."

"You mean _your_ enemies," I corrected.

"Oh, Belikov, you will learn to hate them for what they've done to you."

"Maybe," I muttered, desperately hoping now, but also wanting to, so I couldn't care as much as I did. This boy, Nathan, told me about the life of a Strigoi, what to do, how to do it, and our abilities. As he was rambling on, I was learning so much new things about Strigoi, and was sadly becoming enthralled. I couldn't help it, it just didn't seem as bad as I thought.

"Okay, Belikov. It's time to hunt." I stood for the first time in what felt like hours, following after Nathan, moving out of the cave and into fresh air. We walked in the opposite direction of St. Vladimir's Academy, and when we stood on top of a fairly large hill, I could see the Academy is detail, the distance not hindering my sight a bit. I saw people scattered around on campus, some moving, some not. Oh, how my senses were alive! I looked around me in wonder. I could smell the grass, the dirt, and even the small bunch of daises almost hidden on the ground beside me. I kneeled down to look at them more closely, but a large boot crunched them and the ground into broken, damp pieces.

"There's no time for feminine crap when you're a Strigoi, Belikov, now come on, you _faggot!_" he yelled. I glared up at him and rose, already despising him. I don't think I could've put up with him for much longer, but he was lucky that I had patience. I followed up behind him again, sulking angrily, and he started to walk faster then broke into a run, forcing me to speed up. We ran extremely fast, a speed that wasn't possible! We ran for at least 10 minutes and passed Missoula, heading down a few miles more to a average sized trashy looking town, with prostitutes and whores lurking the streets. Nathan stopped in his tracks, so I did, too.

"Ah, I love this place," he sighed, more content than he was earlier.

"It's disgusting!"

"It's not the look, Belikov, it's the blood. Nobody cares if prostitutes die here. It's pretty much an isolated town. It reminds me of those old vampire movies where they would kill those whores and no one would care because it was common. It's the same here, so we'll get the blood we can."

I let out a hard breath. "Fine."

We prowled around the streets, searching for the sluttiest looking hookers on the pathways. At last, we found two drunk women wearing next to nothing. I stood in the shadows, watching Nathan as he seduced them into a nearby alleyway. They didn't seem to know – or care – how dangerous that would be, so they eagerly accepted and allowed Nathan to lead the way. He called out to me and I grudgingly approached the three.

"Dere's two?" I dark haired, cake-faced female uttered, her words slurred together. "We got's lucky, Crystal!" They both laughed too loudly and stumbled into each other. Nathan took Crystal which left me with the other.

"Why, hey!" she told me noisily, "Ya don't get all a 'dis if ya don't gotta no money!" I really didn't know what to do, so I glanced over at Nathan, who braced Crystal against the wall, and kissed her cheek, trailing down to her neck. No way in the world was I going to kiss this..._thing_, so I just edged towards her neck where I could see her pulse thumping – jittery– seized her shoulders, let my instincts take over and bit into her flesh, forming two punctures. I sucked out enough blood to subside her moaning and whimpering and to make her numb, then placed her on the ground and used my teeth to rip her wound right open! I drank from her until I saw her memories flash through me of her normal childhood, that shaped into a life full of paid sex, drugs and depression. I ignored it and savoured the taste of her blood doused with vodka. I swallowed huge gulps of thick, hot blood until I felt her heartbeat slow down, and finally stop pounding. I moaned in ecstasy; that was straight up the best feeling I had _ever _experienced, or remembered experiencing. The tips of my fingers were tingling, and my face was flushed. And one of the best parts was that I didn't feel any guilt, I just couldn't think that. It actually felt like a deed for the most part. Both prostitutes now lay dead on the ground when Nathan acknowledged me once again.

"Nice for a first kill, but it could've been better," he commented indifferently.

"What do we do with them?"

"Sit 'em up against the wall, grab a piece of glass or metal – anything someone can cute themselves with – dip it in their blood, smear some on their hands, and walk away." He sounded as if he were reading out a recipe. He demonstrated this as he talked, and left immediately, and I once again trudged behind him as we found another pair of what I couldn't call women. This time, I went straight at the human's throat again, needing to taste that delicious blood on my tongue, and when I had finished her off, my body tingling and buzzing from head to toe, my senses all the more active, I set her up beside Nathan's victim, with a fairly large piece of metal I'd broken off a trash can.

"We won't need any more tonight," Nathan said briskly and began running in a completely different direction than we were. He finally skidded to a stop in front of a normal house.

"Why are we _here_?" I demanded rudely.

"Because I live here." There were obvious reasons that I overlooked that proved his answer correct; the windows were boarded shut, there was no mailbox to indicate that it was even a house, and it was pretty much in the middle of nowhere now, close to a large forest with definitely over ten thousand trees, isolated from everything. Nathan led me in and showed me around his lair with a cocky manner that I hated. Only hours with this Strigoi made me want to hit him across the head. Nathan finally stopped in a very dark room where I would be resting when it was daytime. He seemed too proud of his bare 'guest' room. Maybe an hour or so later, he said he needed to run a few errands before sunlight, saying it was 'essential business'. He didn't know the least about business essentials and that made me mad. He believed he was my superior because he gave me life again. I wished I could have died instead. I would've been lucky.

When it was nearing sunrise, Nathan still hadn't returned, and I had studied every inch of the house in my free time, so I shut the door of my room, and let total darkness bathe the room. I could still see everything in detail, but a few shades darker and contrast. I kicked off my dirty shoes and sprawled on the bed in the corner, and before I let myself slumber, I thought long and hard. I was a Strigoi. That was the loudest thing that my mind was screaming and yet, I thought nothing horrible of it. I wasn't killing innocent people who mattered and blood was the best thing that had ever reached my throat. The strength, the speed and the senses were advantage that couldn't possibly be categorized as evil. Though somebody would say different. Roza. She would say, "Everything about Strigoi is evil. People are still people, and the advantages aren't used for saving lives, they're for killing them." I hadn't thought of her since I became a Strigoi, and I hated to think of her saying that. I despised her. All she wanted was a nice fuck and then she'd wait for me to leave her alone. We'll I'd given her what she wanted, deceiving myself into thinking that she loved me. What I fool I was to believe her. Although she _did _nag me for months just to be close to her more often and I'd seen that glow in her eyes when she gazed at me after we'd slept together. I was torn between hating her and loving her. I hated that I was losing the memory of her face and I was forgetting if it had any softness in it at all, but I loved the way I felt when I used to look at it. I only remembered the smug, warm that shot down my spine and around my gut whenever I looked at her. I fell asleep sometime during internal arguments, feeling somewhat troubled and confused. I didn't dream at all, yet I felt upset even in my unconsciousness.

At the exact moment when the sun fully set, my eyes flew open, and I was wide awake. I sat up to see that my room filled with clothes and valuables that I didn't care about. Nathan suddenly revealed himself from behind the door, twisting the knob and striding in, as if he were waiting for me to awaken, but then I thought that he would have woken up at the same time as I.

"I got this junk for you last night before the sun came up. I guess you should thank me," he commanded arrogantly. My eyes hardened.

"Thank you," I responded coldly. Nathan seemed oblivious to my penetrating glare and exited the room without another word, leaving me to scrounge through the clothes so I could go out to hunt on my own. I'd learned fairly quickly and didn't need – or want – Nathan's help. When I'd picked an outfit pretty much at random, I stole out of the house before Nathan could stop me and demand that I needed his assistance. I chugged my memory from last night and took Nathan's route towards that disgusting city consisting only of pimps, hookers, sluts and gangsters. I deserved better than that. So that's why I changed course towards the city. I grew thrilled as I reached the exterior buildings of Missoula, one looking like a definite and nice Strigoi hide-out. I finally reached the city, and my anticipation was at its climax. I was getting decent blood! Even after one day, I couldn't handle dirty blood. I don't think any Strigoi could, except for of course Nathan, who was a disgusting, unfair, conceited, self centered, obnoxious bastard.

I didn't let my thoughts ruin my night, but as I roamed around the alleyways and edges of the huge mall in the centre of town, a battle commenced and raged inside of my head. Rose would never want me to do this_. You're your own man now, so you don't need her. _She wouldn't approve! _Who cares?_ I shut my thoughts up when I saw a figure around the back of the mall, afraid they might hear my shrieking thoughts. It was a girl, only about nineteen and at first when I saw her blonde hair, I froze in terror; I thought for a moment that it was Princess Lissa Dragomir. It wasn't. She staggered around in high heels, apparently crying or about to vomit. At least she wasn't drunk. It was dark enough for humans to see me without noticing anything unusual, so I stepped out from the shadows, preparing my act.

"What would a young girl like you be doing at the back of a mall this late at night?"

"None of your business!" she shot back, her voice muffled with tears.

"Actually I'm supposed to be protecting girls like you from places like these." I tapped the right side of my chest, as if a badge was pinned there. "Security."

"Oh," she said. "Sorry, sir." I approached her.

"Is there something wrong?" I feigned worry. "You seem upset."

"Yes, but you'd think it's petty and lame."

"No. Come, sit down. I don't want you to trip. Just calm down first." She obeyed.

"Well, my boyfriend, Dan, broke up with me. Right in the middle of the mall, with so any people to see me hurt!" she squeaked, and began to sob.

"It's alright. Get the whole story out, and you'll feel much better." I rolled my eyes in the darkness. She started to blab and wail on and on about what happened, and all the while, I was staring at her neck, watching the pulse throb and admiring the clean blood that flowed through her veins, so delicious... She stopped mid-sentence when she caught me looking at her jugular.

"I have to admit, sir, you're extremely beautiful." How could she even think about saying that after her boyfriend had broken up with her less than an hour ago? I sighed inwardly. Teenage human girls...

"Thanks," I murmured, and let my instincts get the best of me, like I had planned. I saw her move closer to me and tilt her head back just the slightest, as if inviting me to kill her. I slipped one hand behind her head, and inched my head towards her warm, alive throat, expecting her to slap. She didn't. I couldn't bring myself to kiss her delicate skin before I dig my teeth into her skin, or I'd feel as if I'd betrayed Rose, even if I hated her in so many ways. I softly bit the girls neck without breaking the skin to check where I would bite, then I bit much harder, feeling her skin slide around my teeth. She cried out, attempting to push me away, and started to scream. I clamped a hand over her mouth and took in a deep, beautiful guzzle of blood, then pushed her down on the ground when she was quiet enough, and took my time savouring the taste of a pure person. She was shuddering and weakly started to claw my face with her hands, but soon fell limp in my hands. I watched her memories carefully as I felt that shivering, tingling sensation flow through my arms and legs and the tips of my fingers. There was hardly anything bad about her childhood, except for a couple of bad viruses and a broken leg. When I concluded, I pushed one of my sharp fangs from one puncture on her neck to the other, forming a vertical slash. I dropped the cold blood that was still left inside her body onto the floor, also ripping her wrists and forearms to do so. I broke off a large chunk of metal from the back of a huge trash can a few steps away from us. I covered it in her blood and shoved it into her gory neck, listening closely as it grazed her bone, which kind of sounded like running your fingernails down a chalkboard. I involuntarily shivered, and shook my head. I ran back to Nathan's, hoping not to get caught. I had only taken a couple of hours to get from the city, eat, and come back, so I decided I had all night to get back. I might as well use up my spare time. I viewed the nature. All night. It took at least ten minutes for every five square meters. I could see everything! And my recent kill just sharpened my senses. Every blade of grass, even the creatures that lived on them, was clear. After several more hours of smelling, touching and observing the environment like an alien, I returned to the house. The moment I opened the doorm Nathan was standing before me, fuming.

"What the fuck did you do, Belikov?!" He raved.

"What I wanted."

"I can't believe you! There are police and ambulance and reporters and investigators at the back of the mall, and I know you did it!

"Why didn't you just listen to me? Your second day and you've killed somebody at the back of a mall! _Second _day! I don't think any Strigoi has ever done something this idiotic, ever!"

"Well, at least I'm singular," I muttered and smiled sardonically.

"I don't believe you! You, Belikov, are a grade A idiot!" He roared. I straightened up and glared at him.

"Say it again," I challenged. "And if you do, I swear, even for a Strigoi, you won't be able to move for days, and you will also be utterly helpless and I leave you in the daylight to wither away slowly. And I _really _hope that happens.  
"Or," I continued and pushed my sleeves up, "I can make it _much_ faster." I gripped his shirt in my fist and towered over him. "_Right. Now._" There was fear almost hidden in Nathan's eyes, but he smiled.

"You'll be a great Strigoi," he muttered. I growled, animal, and pushed him to the ground, striding past his chuckling body and into my room. I closed the door behind me at sat on the bed, furious. I managed to calm myself and stop shaking before I went to sleep again.

I swear, I would get out of here.

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**I actually _would_ like a review for this from you, because I never thought  
about what people would think of this one**.


	3. Reverse This Curse

**Wow! This took kind of long to type, and my wrist hurts! *thumbs up***  
**Here's the third chapter for you, where Rose and Dimitri finally meet, and all the stuff before it ;)**  
**The next chapter is going to be VERY interesting, so heads up for that.**

**Oh, and yeah, my Strigoi have heart beats, because how does all the blood circulate around the  
body without the blood dropping to their feet?**

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I laboriously stayed in Nathan's lair for a whole agonizing week and I couldn't take it! I was leaving. Nathan was just too damn haughty, pushy and irritating! I'd gotten into tens of arguments him, but the last one we had ended up in a fist fight. That was yesterday. Even if he was a Strigoi for longer than I had been, I was still much stronger, and he had ended up cowering into his room, blood trickling from his lip.

Instead of packing the bag I didn't have, I wore a few layers of clothing and none of that worthless jewellery. Nathan hadn't informed me when he left and had already gone to hunt. Before I left, though, I felt as if I had to 'thank' him. I took out a marker from Nathan's room, and in huge letters on his wall, I wrote 'FUCK YOU'. I laughed gleefully and added a big, smiling face beside my short message. I also found a small cell phone on the ground beside me and knew immediately that it was mine. I picked it up and sorted through the contacts, and stopped on one contact, crushing the keys so hard they almost broke. I heard muffled rings and froze. It was calling Rose, but a machine soon said in a monotone that she was unavailable. I was partly glad that she couldn't answer, but I did want to her voice, and the beautiful way it would sound if I threatened her. I threw the marker on the ground and stole out to that sordid town to kill. I took a young teenage girl, hoping not to see Nathan there. When I finished the girl up, I sprinted as fast as I could – which is _very_ fast – to the end of Missoula. When I found the location I was searching for, I abruptly stopped, skidding for another meter ahead of me. I turned and stared up at the building I'd seen days ago. It was made entirely of concrete; there was few windows and, fortunately, they were boarded up. A Strigoi _had _to have lived here previously. I sighed in content and strode up the small flight of rickety stairs that led to the first story. I opened the unlocked door and glanced around my new home. It was rather boring, but hey, it worked; that's what mattered. I didn't know why the humans constructed it, and how they could possible find a use for this, but it seemed like they'd built it, implying it to be a home. It was pretty much solely made out of teak, and many different woods everywhere. I ascended another set of stairs to the second story that I immediately preferred. It mainly consisted of dark rooms with small amounts of furniture. My favourite was a room down the back right area of the hallway. It only had a gold couch that sat against the wall and a large window that had a lovely view of...timber boards.

I stripped of the extra layers of clothing, leaving myself in a red shirt and jeans. I settled down on the couch and let myself drift off to sleep, finally by myself.

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The sun set, and as soon as my eyes flicked open, I was out the door, returning to that horrid town I had to hunt in for the time being. I needed a big city that I could feed in. Somewhere like Novosibirsk, Russia. My home. Ah, the memories I recollected then... Russia with its cold weather and artistic buildings. And what pure, innocent, mouth-watering the kills would be! I couldn't even muster the imagination for how delightful the taste would be. I wanted to move there, and stay there forever. But for the next few days, I needed to lay low.

To pass the time, I trekked out to the other side of Missoula and past the entry into the city. I took a walk through the trees, but got bored and climbed the tallest tree – feeling very much like Spiderman – to look at the view in detail.  
I didn't see the view.

And, boy, I saw detail.

I saw Rose.

She was stomping through the snow and damp grass, staring wistfully at the road ahead of her, her hair blowing around her face and some of the sudden bursts of wind. She was already miles from the Academy. Why?  
She was coming to capture and murder me.

I went closer, while still trying to keep my distance. I hadn't forgotten about her bond with Lissa, and the side-effects that accompanied it. She had a backpack strapped on with a few things stuffed in it, I guessed. I had no clue of what to do, so I followed her, concealing myself behind the trees. I couldn't tear my eyes away from her. They dragged longingly up her slender legs, past her slim waist – the man in me taking over – slowing my pace up from her supple breasts and her pulsing neck. I stopped at her face.

I'd totally forgotten how beautiful she was.

her features weren't hard or brutal. They were sad and soft. Her lush, full lips looked so sweet, like the finest candy in the world, although slightly purple from the cold. Her small, simple nose and slightly puffed cheeks lessened my hate. Remembering the gentle kisses I'd given them. Her eyes. Oh, her eyes were like two beautiful gems, swirling about in shades of chocolate and chestnut brown. Her skin was so pale and smooth, that I suddenly felt guilty. If I wasn't a Strigoi, her skin wouldn't be so translucent, her eyes wouldn't seem so sunken and her mouth wouldn't turn down in such a depressing manner. I loved this woman. I did. She was still mine.

Because she wanted to kill me?

I didn't know whether to be happy that she loved me enough to leave her life behind for me, or to be infuriated that she wanted me dead. It was hard to choose. I kept watching her and now she started to hold her stomach and look around. Rose stopped walking and looked defeated and embarrassed as she stuck her hand out towards the road. Less than two minutes after, a flashy looking car pulled up beside her. I listened hard. She stepped towards the door, and her eyes widened.

"Do you need a lift?" a man's voice said, muffled by the car.

"Yeah." I'd finally heard her voice that I'd long forgotten. It was so sweet and shocked. She quickly jumped into the car and the man sped off. I decided to give up for the night, not bothering to follow them, and return back home. That day, when I dreamed, it was of Rose. Nothing much, just her walking with me, talking to me, gazing at me the way I did to her, and kissing me. Gentle little kisses everywhere. It was, by far, the most satisfying dream I'd had since becoming awakened.

I hadn't seen Rose again for the next two nights and I just couldn't give up. I wouldn't be able to fend her off until she found. Then, I would convince her to leave me alone. I was holding back my plans for Russia just to protect her. It seemed worthless, but I couldn't stop. When I did see Rose again, she looked cleaner and a little happier. She was stopping and scrutinising a small cave more likely suited for ears than Strigoi. Smart. She disappeared into the darkness, and I wanted a closer look. I still hadn't forgotten her extraordinary Strigoi senses, but I wanted to take the risk just to see her face. I ripped branches out of the pine trees for a half hour, testing my strength, before sneaking around the cave and entering it hesitantly. Bout a meter back, Rose was lying on her side underneath a small blue quilt. She appeared to be in a very deep sleep, so I crouched down right beside her, longing to wrap my arms around her and give her the comforting warmth I used to possess. I wished I had one day to somehow change back into a dhampir, and tell her all the things I couldn't back then without being staked. Only for one day, though, because I also loved being a Strigoi. The freedom was amazing. The only thing I could do was kiss Rose's cheek. Her hand flittered to her stomach, but she smiled in her sleep, probably thinking about someone. My blood ran cold when she turned around to face me, her lips pouted. I thought she was awake, but soon noticed that she was still very asleep. After some thought, I leaned down and gave her a long kiss on her warm lips. Somehow, someway, they were much better than any kill I'd made. And I also couldn't believe that she responded also – some form of a sleepwalk, without actually walking – as if she were awake, giving me passionate kisses and literally mumbling my name, dreaming of me. Her hot tongue collided with my own, and I swear they sizzled, like fire and ice. She reached out blindly, grabbing only air and when she attempted again, one hand caught my arm, and the other, my crotch. Her hands tightened their grip on me and I gasped in pain. The hand on my arm wasn't hurting me in the slightest, but her other hand was sending nausea through my body and up my throat. I pulled her hands away, a shudder riding down my body, and looked outside. It was almost dawn.  
"Roza, I have to go...I love you," I said earnestly with all of the light trapped inside my gloomy heart. I _did _love her. I loved this girl. She was...my life. Still was.

"Love you, too, Dimitri," she murmured, her words slurred. It was amazing how dreams could so easily collide with reality. I finally heaved myself up and left Rose again.

But not for long.

I followed Rose through Missoula for five nights after that encounter, becoming more wound up by the day, organising what I would say to her once she found me. Would she look at me lovingly or menacingly? I didn't know. I would never know with her. I also wondered if she thought as I. Probably not. After I woke on the sixth night, I flew down the stairs without delay and checked outside the front door.

"Oh. Shit." Rose was coming, I saw her. She looked even more sullen than when she started. I knew she'd perk up when she felt my presence. I very quietly closed the door and bolted up the stairs and into my room in a flash, starting to panic a little. I tuned in my ears and all I heard was a gasp and a sob, then I heard Rose approaching the house, dropping something to the ground and cautiously climbing the stairs to the front door, opening it. She walked a few steps up the second flight of stairs, when I suddenly remembered an earlier plan that I'd forgotten in my frantic haste. I needed to move the couch to the edge of the room to match the trajectory of my throw, because I knew Rose would jump at me. It was her nature. I sped over to the sofa, and yanked it up easily over my head, placing it where it should have been. Before Rose arrived, I turned to face the boarded window so I wouldn't have to see her expression when she set her eyes on me. My heart was beating in my ears when Rose finally came to the door and obviously stopped instantly. Everything after that pretty much occurred in slow motion as far as I could tell. I tucked away my feelings, hardened my features and turned to see her about to plunge her stake into my flesh. I pushed her arms away from me and then her whole body effortlessly, sending her flying exactly where I wanted her. She gripped the couch harder when she saw me.

"Rose, nice to see you again," I greeted coldly. She said nothing. "Don't want to talk?" She took in a deep breath.

"Do you? Do you want to kill me?" she spoke in a trembling, scared voice that broke my heart. I kept up my act, though. But I was having second thoughts. Was bitterness going to send her off?

"Well, that all depends on how you feel. Are you trying to kill me?"

"I have to!"

"No," I honestly protested, "you don't. I'm fine."

"I promised." I was beginning to grow angry with her and her promises.

"Promises can be broken, different decisions can be made. I've changed. I don't love you," I lied angrily. But I just wanted her to leave me to live. She was so dedicated in her little mission, but maybe I could fob her off. I knew how to lie.

"_I _haven't! You don't want this, Dimitri, you don't want to kill innocent people! I know you don't! You've lost everything in your soul that's good! It's evil you want!" she shouted, and it got to me. Was evil all I wanted? I lost my guard. Maybe evil didn't fend her off; what if it was my true emotions. She was just so damn hard to deal with! I was getting angry at her, and I didn't want to. I hated the whole sharing my emotions subject, but it might save her – us.

"Not everything." I sat beside her on the couch.

"What?" Rose looked incredulous and hurt.

"I haven't lost all innocence... all love. Because of you."

"Stop screwing with me, or I'll do it now. I'll kill you," she threatened in a tone that I loved. Now I was prepared to pour out my deepest confessions just for her to leave me.

"No... Roza, I've realized over the past couple of weeks that I feel, well, I feel like my old self about you. I'm not controlled and civilized which is expected, but I am right now, because I'm sitting here with you. The Strigoi that turned me, we didn't get along at all, so I ran away from him before he could catch me. I knew you were looking for me, and I knew where you were going. I watched you at night, sleeping, or maybe still walking. I was usually far away so you feel me, but I was close enough to see you, and sometimes, I went close to you. I knew you cared about me, so I'm here to tell you that I don't need anything done. And I'm glad that you're alive." I felt lighter, a little better, after that.

"Dimitri." Nothing else.

"Roza, I love you."

"How? You can't!" she sounded as if she didn't know that I have for so long and it was some form of blasphemy. I tried to ignore that.

"Yes, Rose, I can. I don't know how, but I can. When I look at you, I still see..._you_. You still make me happy to be with you, and it doesn't make that humane part of my soul feel so alone and evil and miserable. I still want you forever, but you think I'm evil and I notice it –" _that_ part was a lie, but I knew it got worse than me – "When I said to you I was fine – I'm not. I was lying so I could get you to go, but I really don't want to die. I'm – I'm afraid of it, Rose." Most of it actually was the truth, but I hadn't realised it until now.

"Please, Dimitri!" she begged. "I need to do this. I'm doing it because I love you and you deserve better." Did I? Rose took my hand. I gripped it tighter.

"I can't, it's too hard."

"No! You can't back out. You can do it." Oh, the tables had turned, now Rose was convincing _me_.

"I don't want to die," I protested. How would this turn out? Would she end up dead?

"You'll be grateful."

"_You'll_ be gone forever." I pulled in a deep breath, trying not to be weak and cry. Rose's face look sympathetic and one corner of her mouth tugged up the slightest bit. I just loved that smile so damn much. I folded her in my embrace and kissed her full, beautiful lips. I stared into her eyes for what felt like forever.

"I love you, Dimitri," Rose murmured quietly, a sob caught in her throat.

"I love you, too, Roza." I kissed her rosy cheek, truly meaning what I said. I loved her with everything I had and –

_PAIN!_

_  
_Total, excruciating pain!

I couldn't utter a single word when I felt the blood flow profusely onto my shirt. I tried to scream, but hardly anything came out. I fell to the floor.

"Sorry, Dimitri, it's for your own good," she whispered and kneeled on the floor, turning away from me. Before I faded away the Strigoi left my body and I was warm, pure. It felt so good. I looked up at Roza. She was crying more than I had seen any being cry, small moans and screams coming from her mouth. Her body shook all over. My eyes were closing, and I was leaving this world.

"It's no world without you, Roza," I breathed, and let my life drop away with tears welling up in my eyes.

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**:'( Sadness, I know. But I wouldn't end Dimitri like this!**

**I need your help! What was your favorite line of the chapter, because I need to know how to write it!**

If there's any mistakes, sorry, I was in a rush!

**(I'LL BE TRYING TO UPDATE DIMITRI'S SICK DAY & SLEEPWALKING SOON!)  
Yes, I'm continuing with Sleepwalking ;)  
**


	4. The Black Parade

**Hey! I wrote this chapter before my others because it's short, I know.**  
**I can't wait to write the next one, lots of heartbreak at that start, but quickly forming into lovely lemony goodness! ;)**

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I awakened in a dark, broken kind of world. People were floating about me, dark, baggy circles underneath their eyes and their mouths turned down in permanent grimaces. They wore a variety of clothes, some smeared with blood, some not. I began to panic. Where the hell am I? I asked this to a man coming up behind me, his eyes a deep, dark brown, his face almost devoid of emotion. He looked...dead.

"You're in the world of the dead. Sorry," he muttered solemnly. I gawked at him.

"Dead?"

"Yes, we haven't found peace, and we follow people in the living world to find it again."

"How long have you been here?" It seemed, the more days spent here, the more they withered away. I was just too surprised to not be calm. It was as if I were alive, but in another world.

"Twenty-two days. Nearly my time."

"This is crazy!" I said to myself, who, probably, was going insane. I walked away from the man. "This isn't real. It's not real. It's my imagination. It isn't allowed to be anything else!" I shuffled down the dirt and gravel paths of the dead world and stopped at a mossy, burned log on the edge of this land, literally. I gazed upwards at the overcast sky and the rolling, thunderous clouds threatening to burst with sorrowful rain; and I finally cried. I cried like Rose was crying back in that house. How I remembered that, I didn't know. I closed my eyes and clung to my memories, thought for my life. I remembered every detail of when we met, every meaningful discussion we'd had, every kiss we'd shared and the cabin. I thought of the way she stroked my hair, nuzzled her face into my neck and give me gentle kisses across my face. The way she would scratch her nails down my back, digging them roughly into my skin or when she would snuggle against me when out moments of blissful peace were over and kiss my neck and chest. God, how I loved her. She was like the sun, the moon, the earth, everything! She was everything I ever needed, and now she was gone.

Gone, gone, gone.

And so was my sight.

I felt a tugging sensation, and it all went black.

Then it was white; a bright flash.

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**Ta-da! :D**

**Hope you enjoyed this one, and you won't be waiting very long for me to update again on my stories  
(It's the weekend! Finally.)**

**Thank-you for reading this far without dying of boredom, my friends!**


	5. Memories That Fade Like Photographs

**Okay, I promise, the next chapter is the actual lemons, like, yummy yummy Rose and Dimitri lemons, not in Dimitri's mind ;)**  
**But this is where they finally meet, kinda, it's one sided :D But his feelings are all pretty and happy.**

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I started to breathe. I sensed hands on my chest and then on my head. I was choking on the air. I groped for it desperately and finally respired again. My eyes were so close to tearing apart and opening, but they didn't. Behind them, I sensed many people looming over me. I had no idea what was happening and who these voices belonged to, but they rung in my ears loud and sharp. They were all yelling for doctors, then feeders, then I heard something about someone...Lissa, who needed to drink. I then heard a low, hard thud, which sounded like something being dropped to the hard, timber floor. I stared around me at a room with nothing but a small amount of furniture.

"Hello," a man cautiously said to me. "I'm Dr. Levi Cashoviane. From the Academy." I was confused. I scratched the back of my neck and threw him a puzzled glance. The man sighed, and nodded his head slowly.

"What's your name?" Cashoviane questioned.

"Dimitri Belikov."

"Where are you?"

"...I have no idea."

"Do you know what's happened?"

"No."

"Okay, then," he murmured. He dug into his shirt's pocket and drew out a special type of flashlight, shining it straight into my eyes, murmuring a few things to himself. "Well, it's not permanent amnesia, you're just in too much shock to remember anything. All you need to do is jog your memory. I can't tell you anything about what has just happened – you'll have to figure that out for yourself, but I can positively say that it was the most amazing miracle I've ever seen!" I was still baffled, because, well...I didn't get a thing. It was annoying, not knowing something everyone else knew about; it was like an itch at the back of my head. I wanted to tear right into the brain to scratch it, and finally figure out about this.

"Well, I need to check on Rose. She was hysteric. The poor girl." He handed me some disgusting medicine-food that I was required to eat and excited the quiet room, leaving me in the care of Janine Hathaway. It sounded a little familiar, but it wasn't enough for me.

"Belikov, what happened to you was a phenomenon," she started.

"Um, temporary amnesia. Don't know what you're talking about."

"Temporary?" Janine looked at me, kind of shocked. "Alright. I won't help much, but I do have to keep an eye on Rose. I think she's asleep now; the doctor had to give her sedatives so she would sleep for longer."

"Why?"

"She went into hysterics." This girl, Rose. They were all talking about her and they crazy fits she went in to.

"Would I be able to come? I want to meet her." She looked troubled and confused for a moment.

"I _have _to take you. They put Rose in the car just in case."

I saw a black-haired boy jump out of the car Janine and I were heading to and walked right towards me. I glanced worriedly at Janine.

"Christian Ozera," she muttered.

"Guardian Belikov," he said. "I can't believe Lissa could actually go through with that! At first I was angry that she would risk her life, but she told me everything." I didn't say anything, so he continued. "About you and Rose."

"What about them?" Janine grilled cautiously.

"Well, Guardian Hathaway, I guessed you'd find out sooner or later, anyway. Guardian Belikov and Rose have been in love with each other ever since Rose came back to the Academy." I was in love with the hysterical girl?

"Are you serious?" Janine gasped, and looked at me accusingly.

"I don't know! I can't remember. Maybe if she stayed in the room I should apparently still have at the Academy, I would remember more."

"She'd feel safer, too," Christian piped in.

"I suspected something like this would happen," she grumbled angrily, shaking her head slowly, her red curls swaying in synchronisation with it.

"I think it would b better if I talk with you when I remember more," I suggested, not enjoying the looks she gave me.

"Fine, but I'm not happy, Belikov," she huffed. "We have to leave now anyway. We're all too worn out. You go on the car with Ozera. I'll go with Rose." Janine stalked off and the Ozera boy led me to a car in front of all the vehicles. We got in, and only Christian and I sat on the back seats.

"Can you tell me who Rose is?" I asked him. His gaze was sceptical. "Temporary amnesia," I quickly added.

"Oh, well, her names Rose Hathaway, she's eighteen, a real big bitch sometimes, and used to go to St. Vladimir's Academy, but she dropped out 'cause you turned Strigoi. She was looking for you so she could kill you.. She did, but my girlfriend healed you back to life, leaving the Strigoi out of your body."

"She's eighteen?" I loved a girl seven years younger than I! That didn't sound like something I'd do.

"Rose is, yeah, but I guess you guys didn't care."

"O...kay."

"Uh, lemme think; you are pretty much an antisocial, but you would hang out with Rose a lot and talk with her, too. I don't know much, 'cause I wasn't really there, but Lissa said that you two were more in love than anybody else she's ever seen. She knows now because she remembers. She told me you would both literally die for each other."

"Really?" I loved someone _that_ much! I wish I could feel it. I couldn't wait to see her, but most of all, I couldn't wait to remember everything. The whole way back, Christian told me everything about this girl. She seemed quite violent and rude – maybe it was just to him. But she was also very protective of her second half, Lissa Dragomir. They were bound to each other and were linked eternally – unless one either dies or is turned into a Strigoi – because Rose was shadow kissed, and I already knew what that meant. It was a part of guardian training; it was drilled into my brain, no matter what. Out of nowhere – I wasn't looking out the window, St. Vladimir's Academy appeared before us all. I remembered coming here nearly three years ago. That's all I remembered, but it was a start.

" I want to see Rose now," I demanded after we got out of the car. Nobody answered me. Christian moved two vehicles behind to see Lissa, so I moved the other car, directly behind the one I was just riding in. People were getting out and opening the door to take the girl out. Two men had to grip her and bring her out of the car. I walked closer and asked if I could hold her. They reluctantly gave her to me, and I picked her up in my arms easily without looking at her face. As we entered the Academy, I let my eyes drift up her legs that look – and felt – so familiar. It was as if all of this was on the tip of my tongue – my life. My eyes drank in her stomach and breasts, and I was almost there. I gazed down at her delicate neck then let my eyes rest on her sleeping face. I had to stare for a quarter of a minute before anything came to me.

It was worth it, though.

I jumped and stopped walking, letting the memories flood me in a flash. Rose. Roza, my beautiful. It was like drinking from the lake of life after nearly dying of thirst, the way I remembered it all. I now remembered _who _I loved, _why_ I loved her and how great it was to feel these emotions. I looked down at myself, closed my eyes and felt my heart beat, warm and alive. Everybody had stopped, too, and was gazing at me with tentative eyes. I didn't care. I smiled and began to laugh gleefully, a tear slipping from my eye with the joy I felt. I held Rose tighter and kissed her sweet, soft wonderful unconscious lips. I heard a few people gasp, but I kept laughing to myself, looking up at the sky, the moon almost out of sight and the bright, beautiful sun rising. I murmured Roza's name quietly. Around me, people were now smiling, happy for me, but Janine sighed and walked on. I jogged with Rose in my arms and kept pace beside Janine.

"So, we can talk about it now?" she fumed.

"Yes, of course." Nothing could have brought me down now, not even one of Janine Hathaway's long, angry lectures. She didn't say anything as we walked up to my form that, to my surprised, I missed. I put Rose on the untouched bed, grinning and kissed her cheek. I followed Janine out of the room, and closed the door behind me.

"Why – how can you do this?" she raged, glaring at me in a way that Rose, too, would. It didn't faze me – I was used to it.

"I don't know. It just happened. Don't you see what I see in Rose?"

"Of course, but have you considered the age?"

"Yes."

"Your occupation?"

"Yes."

"And what would there be that you could do?"

"Many things. There is only a short gap age, and in Court, I could get another job so we wouldn't have to worry about the same person when we'd be too busy stressing over each other. "

"Dimitri –"

"Janine, I've worried about this for months, but I decided only hours before I was...turned. I'm not going to let my feelings go to waste again, or it might be actually be too late. Fate wants us to be together."

"Hours before. Decided what?" she pressed slowly and suspiciously.

"That I would show her how much I loved her without holding back and regretting it."

"And _how_ did you do that?" I think she was catching on.

"Well, uh..." I looked away, uncomfortable. To my utter astonishment, Janine laughed.

"Sex?"

I shrugged. "Yeah."

She seemed more concerned about Rose's sex life than why we loved each other. "Was that her first time?" I leaned against the doorframe.

"Yeah, it was."

"Well, I guess that's good."

"Alright. Are you over the fact that Rose and I are in love?" I raised an eyebrow and Janine shook her head, smiling.

"I guess so. I mean, there's nothing I _can _do, right?"

"Right, but maybe you should give Rose a little lecture. She'll think it's too unusual if you don't and if you tell her it's okay with you, she'll think something bad of you and start plotting."

"Nice thinking, Belikov. She'll probably hate me for a while afterwards. We just can't tell her because I know she gets carried away when it's okay to do stuff."

"Maybe after she graduates, we'll let her."

"That sounds logical. I guess you have a lot to check up on, a lot of people to speak with. You're the talk of the school right now, so be careful." She smiled, nodded her head, and left. I sighed, so happy. I returned to my dorm and instantly looked at Rose under the covers, sweating. The weather was heating up., and she was still in jeans and a heavy jacket. I approached her and zipped the jacket open and slid it off her body, which was difficult. What was more complicated, after slipping her shoes off, was unbuttoning her jeans and tugging them off. Rose wasn't cooperative, so it took a while. I left her in her shirt and underwear, just appreciating her bare, slender legs for a moment, loving the thought that they were mine. That _she_ was mine. I decided to shower and dress in some different clothes, and clean myself up. During the shower, flashes of my Strigoi life flew across my head, the blood and dead bodies filling my vision. I fought them away with beautiful thoughts of the future Rose and I could have now.

When I was finally fresh again, I kissed Rose goodbye and sauntered downstairs to the first floor where the administrative offices were. I talked to Ellen, the headmistress **(Actually is her name! I laughed when I recalled this again. Ellen Kirova? Psh, funny!) **about Rose and I, but didn't tell her to know. She actually understood my point of view and agreed to act ignorant about it. I conversed with many other people for almost an hour before heading back to my dorm. The sun was beating down without searing my body to ashes. I was alive, I was. I hadn't seen the daylight for the first time in what felt like years. I was almost scared for a moment before I remembered, it really couldn't hurt me now. I laughed at myself and returned back inside. I couldn't hear a thing in the lobby or the first and second floor. Probably the soundproof walls. It was eerily quiet, nevertheless, so I rushed into my dorm and found my gorgeous Roza still soundly asleep. I tugged my shoes off with my feet and lay down beside Rose, stroking her hair and face, gazing deeply into her face that I missed so much. Before I knew it, I fell asleep.

Now this was the start of my life.

* * *

**Any favourite lines of this chapter?**

**If not, what's your favourite song currently?**

**I'm getting a lot lately. Right now it's Last Christmas by Taylor Swift or Weightless by All Time Low!  
**


	6. Remembering Sunday

**Yes, I understand that I'm such a bad updater.  
My top priorities are my more popular stories :)**

**There's a few explicit scenes, but it's so mild, you won't notice. (They get a little more descriptive later on ;D)  
**

* * *

The bed shook. Shook me out of my slumber. It felt like I had only slept for a few minutes. Time-wise. My sleep, however, was satisfying, the first real, warm and cosy sleep that I'd had in too long. I rolled over, grounding my eyes for a moment, expecting Rose to be asleep. She wasn't.

She jumped onto me, her arms around my neck tightly, already crying and pressing her face into my chest.

"Dimitri, Oh my god!" she was rejoicing. I couldn't believe this. This was really happening. We were together. I didn't want her to get too worked up, so I attempted to calm her down, only to get distracted by her now open eyes.

"I know, even I can't believe," I said in a daze. Rose was with me. She was. With her eyes totally opened! This seemed so unreal.

"I thought you were gone forever, and you're here...and I love you!" She blabbered, weeping happily.

"I thought I was, too, Roza." I gazed into her warm, deep brown orbs and I swear I almost drowned.

"Are you okay?' she suddenly asked. I almost laughed at her.

"I'm the best I've ever been, Rose, relax." Rose began to breathe normally again and glanced down, inclining her head slowly towards mine. I needed to stare into her beautiful eyes just for another second, so I, too, moved slowly. She cupped my face in her hands and then finally, the moment we were waiting for: when our lips just barely touched. The euphoria that spread over me told me to kiss her harder, more passionately, and grip her tighter, never letting her go. I moved on top of her and reached for her thigh so we would be more comfortable, pulling it around my body, as well as the other leg. Out of the blue, her hands were sliding off my shirt. I threw it out of the way and slithered my hands leisurely up her stomach, slipping her shirt up as I went. Soon enough, we finally finished undressing and continued the foreplay, murmuring out sacred love words and discovering each other once again. Long after, we got down to the business, and I realised how much I needed her. More than I had ever imagined. Whenever I thought the word 'future', the first thing I imagined was Rose. She was meant to be in it. When I'd concluded bestowing myself upon her, and my body had nothing left to give, I fell against the bed, and put my arm around Roza, who was already cuddling up against me. I looked down at her to the moisture had built up in her eyes again.

"I love you, Roza," I said, and meant it with the whole of my warm, beating heart.

"And I love you!" she whispered, giving me a dainty kiss on the cheek. But she went blank. Her features turned distant and her eyes shot back, forth, around, but...they weren't exactly looking at the room.

"Roza?" No answer. "Rose?" I repeated her name again, but she still didn't respond in any way. Had she slipped into a coma because of some form of post-shock? What if I could never talk to her again and tell her how much I loved her? I shook her frantically. She blinked and discontinued my questioning by covering my mouth with her hand.

"Chill. Don't worry. I need to see Lissa." She hoisted up the covers a little more.

"Do you want me to come?"

"You can if you want, but I suggest you should catch up with that... conversation with my mom about us while she's staying here." I think I chuckled just a little, but I kept my mood how it was supposed to be. "But she won't be staying long; _I'm _back." Her lips trembled slightly and she gazed up at me so, so lovingly.

"You're right, I should." I feigned gloominess – too dramatically for my taste – and Rose evidently believed it.

"I'm not saying I _want_ you to, it's just that she's not going to be here for a while, so..." she trailed off. She worried too much, even after I'd told her I was okay too many times.

"No, no, I understand, Rose. It's just not going to be the most pleasant discussion."

"It'll be okay... hey, I'll go, too! I won't be long with Liss." I knew exactly what to do that would confirm Rose's attendance in Janine's dorm.

"I want to -" it worked " – just come with me to see Lissa, and we can face Hell _together_!" she laughed, also seeming a little shocked by her actions. She probably hadn't genuinely released a laugh in a while. I smiled, too happy for her.

"Okay, we'll do it together. But we still have various other people to tell. No more secrets; no more lies," I said and embraced her small body, suggesting we get dressed. I took Rose's hand before we reached the outside, deliberately wanting to be seen. As we strolled towards the med-clinic, whether for my sudden return or our intimacy, people watched. I smiled at them and glanced at Rose: she was frowning, abruptly gloomy, so I gripped her hand tighter in mine, giving it a fruitful squeeze. Her glower diminished instantly, her chin lifted higher and she smirked.

We'd asked for Lissa's room, and after receiving brief direction, we were heading towards it. Rose rushed ahead of me, so I paused briefly to give her some time, before I entered.

" – that you're here to protect me and be my best friend again." That seemed enough of a conclusion.

"May I?" I asked.

"Go ahead," Rose murmured and stepped back. I kneeled down to look Lissa in the eye. It seemed a little old-fashioned, but I couldn't have cared any smaller. I kissed the top of her hand and bde my gratitude quietly.

"Lissa, thank you for saving my soul, my life. I owe you." I did.

"No, no! You don't owe me anything!" she protested. "I did what I did because _I _owed Rose and I know how much you two care about each other. I know how it feels! I didn't do it for _me_, I did it for _Rose_ and for _you_. She's saved my life plenty of times before, so I should save hers. I really hope you understand this. You owe me nothing!" I let out a deep breath, not enjoying how women could be so stubborn. I pulled Rose beside me. I supposed that I would have to learn and accept it: women were indestructible.

"Thank you. If you need anything, just tell us," I insisted warmly, truly meaning it.

"I know what you need to do: you need to stop worrying about this and move on. You've thanked your brains to bits and you should rest them, before I have to heal them myself, and I don't think I'm up for that!" she giggled merrily at her own joke, and looked hopefully around.

"Lissa, are you going to be alright?" Rose unexpectedly asked, staring worriedly at her companion.

Lissa appeared puzzled. "What? – oh, yeah, I'm great!"

"We should...head off," Rose finally said, and I could see her apprehension, loud and clear. "We have a few...errands to run. You'll be fine by yourself, yeah?"

"Yeah, Christian will be here any second. He went over to the booths to feed."

"Oh, okay...I'll see you later, Liss."

"Bye, Lissa, and thanks." I smiled, because there wasn't enough 'thank you' in the world that could supply the load I needed to give. _She should've been my hero_, I thought, _but she's not_. Rose was. In every way. She hadn't lifted my body back into life, but my soul. She lightened my heart. Therefore, she _had_ to be my hero!

"See ya'! Love you, Rose!" Lissa called, quiet now, as I took Rose's hand and led her out of the building.

"Where would she be?" Rose was enquiring about her mother. I appeared thoughtful for a moment.

"Hmm, probably in the guest dorms. Her usual suite." _Waiting for us_. I almost laughed, and Rose looked up to me, grinning.

"You know everything, it's why I love you." I kissed her quickly to hide my smile that would would've given Janine and I away.

As we walked up to the second floor, Rose began to bite her lip and mutter incomprehensively.. I attempted to calm her down and soothe her.

"It's okay, Rose, we're doing this together. Though, let's try and make it quick so we don't get killed," I joked. I was a corner away from saying _before I laugh_, but obviously changed my mind.

She sighed, "let's do this." I confidently knocked on Janine's door, standing a step behind Rose. I nodded at her.

"Rose! I'm so glad you're safe! Do you know how dangerous that was?"

"Yeah, I know," she muttered. Janine's features took on a hard look as she glanced down at our hands.

"Is there something you want to tell me?" she asked, and gestured for us to come inside. I let Rose in first.

"Is my acting good enough?" Janine whispered almost inaudibly.

"Perfect, just keep up a good argument," I breathed in reply and answered her previous question loud enough for Rose to hear. "Yes, Janine, there is."

"Well! Tell me, then."

"Janine," I began, and let my words flow swiftly, "Rose and I have been through a lot of...unfortunate happenings together and facilitated each other through hard-hitting areas. We also understand each other like nobody else. We love each other and that's the way it's going to be." The situation was false, but it didn't mean my words were, too. I was now pretty much talking to Rose, without actually confronting her. Janine shook her head.

"Dimitri! Rose is _seven_ years younger than you! Seven!"

"Yes, I thought a lot about that, but I decided that it didn't matter, when you were with someone you loved." I turned to Rose, who was sniffling a few tears. I'd have liked it to be toward me rather than her mother, and as I looked in further, I saw that she was smiling slightly, s I figured for the rest that it was myself. I wiped her small tears away, shaking my head.

"Right, so you two are going to run off like Sonya and Mikhail? Leave princess Vasilissa unprotected _again_?" Rose unexpectedly jumped up before me.

"You can't even say that! I will _not _run off and leave Lissa unprotected! I'm more than that, I'm glad you think so much of me, _mom_!" she yelled. I felt a twang of sorriness for Rose, having to endure this kind of a hoax, but I sat her down and let her keep control of herself. _It's for the best_.

"Look, I know you're not happy about this," I said, smiling.

"You're damn right I'm not!" Janine added a sprinkle of Hathaway attitude, sounding a lot like Rose.

"Yes, yes, I know you're not happy about it, but that's not going to change how we feel. You have no control over our relationship." She really didn't. Legally. I somehow knew Rose would point this out.

"Yes, I do!"

"Not anymore. I'm eighteen." I internally laughed, for she did correct her mother. "You have no control over my actions and really, you never did." I nodded at Janine, telling her to finish up.

"I don't like this, Rose."

"Well, I do. I'm actually happy when I'm with Dimitri. What, don't you want me to be happy?"

"Of course I want you to, but this is...wrong." Rose shot up, fierceness shown all over her features and led me to the door, looking down at her mother then. I stepped back behind Rose again. I nodded my head at Janine for a second time around and grinned.

"No, it's right, get used to it." Rose spun on her heels, and began to walk away fast. I inclined my head to Janine and she gave me a thumbs up.

"God, I'm glad that's over," Rose rejoiced quietly.

"Same," said I, for her benefit. "You took it well, Rose." I pulled her into my arms. She pressed her face into me and wrapped her arms around my waist like chains.

"Not as good as you, though, You're a pro." A tiny laugh slipped past my lips; I wasn't a 'pro'...I just knew. I followed Rose obediently up the hall until she spoke.

"Mmm, what should we do now?"

"I'm almost positive that we have some various discussions awaiting us." I really didn't have to talk to anyone, maybe just Janine . The insults had to hurt her. Meanwhile, Rose was talking about catching up with Adrian Ivashkov. I never really had a good relationship with him, what with his affection for Rose.

"Then, I'll see you soon."

"I don't want to leave you," she mumbled and reached up to put her arms around my neck. I felt as if she were struggling slightly, so I grabbed her to lift her up to my height. Her legs wrapped around my thighs slightly and her lips attacked mine feverishly. Her lips were so soft and warm, and my senses were so alive that I could feel the very texture of them. I could have held her there for hours, but I had to let her go.

"Neither do I," I finally replied, caressing her blushing cheeks and melting in her deep eyes that held so many emotions. I walked away, back in the direction of Janine's dorm, taking a last, momentary glance at Rose. She wasn't looking at me, she wasn't looking anywhere! Her lips were slightly asunder and she giggled, walking in the opposite direction, her footwork so faintly uncoordinated. I stared right after her, unable to restrict myself, my eyes raking down her body. I bit my lip felt the almost unnoticeable tightening of my jeans. I hated moments like these, but really, I couldn't help it: Rose was just so damn gorgeous. I attempted to calm myself down, banishing thoughts that wouldn't help.

"You can't just stand there all day," a voice stated behind me, causing me to jump. I did not turn, however, still soothing myself.

"Maybe I can."

"Are you going to convince Rose not to hate me after that?" It was Janine, and she was scarcely 5 feet behind me. I built up the strength to turn around.

"She can't hate you. And if she's mad at you, she'll let it go."

"Rose isn't the king to let grudges go."

"I know, and I wouldn't call this a grudge. The next time you see her, you can confess everything, and tell her you didn't mean any of it, unless that's untrue."

"The next time I see her is going to be in a little while."

"Tell her in a little while, then."

Janine frowned and shook her head. "You make no sense anymore, Belikov. You've gone mushy." She laughed and returned to her dorm, preparing and packing to fly back to Europe. I turned around and strode into the empty staff lounge. The first thing I needed to do was eat. I usually had a patient appetite, but now, I was evidently ravenous. I'd only eaten just a little when I'd come back to the Academy. Then, for the following half hour, I settled on a couch in the centre of the room, just thinking once again of my miracle, and Rose. My chances of actually surviving that were so very rare, almost nonexistent! And then Rose, the woman who had risked her career and life to rescue me. I had never truly loved anyone before her, I had felt only affection. I never knew it got more extreme and beautiful. I'd had so many chances before her, but I'd always believed that my career was my top priority. But love altered that. Rose assisted me to realise that it really, honestly wasn't. It was around the time that I began to perceive and pay attention to everything she did that I knew I was changing my life to keep her there. I also grasped this knowledge when I started to recognise the little gestures Rose made, like the way she would flip her hair over her shoulder, the softer sound of her voice and the light in her eyes when she was happy with me, her occasional self-consciousness around me or even what hand she used to tie her hair up. I'd even been interested in reading her records, just to know everything I could about her. I'd lain awake during the nights, thinking of her, wondering if she honestly loved me, or if I was wasting my time obsessing over her presence. On the night of the lust charm, I'd revealed everything, and it seemed as though she'd done the same. At that moment, I could hardly believe I had resisted her. And now, it was too late to turn back, and to be honest, I didn't desire to at all. So I turned back and headed up to my room.

"God!" Was the first thing I Heard from Rose, who was currently pacing angrily across the room. "You wouldn't believe what happened! All of these idiots started asking me stupid questions, like if I was going to commit suicide or turn Strigoi. I've never seen such gullible douches in my life, always spreading rumours!" She looked as if she were on the verge of tears. "They just piss me off so much! How could they believe the crap that's coming from themselves?"

"I don't know, Rose, calm down." I halted her, forcing her to sit. I knew she could get fired up easily, and that was the last thing I wanted. All of her stress lately must have added to it, thus making it worse.

"I will_ not_ fucking calm down!" she shot back, her eyes taking on some kind of a mental, fiery glow. It was rapidly growing hotter and angrier. "I cannot stand what they're saying and why they would think such fucking lies!" Rose struggled beneath my grip, her body trembling, and it all felt too familiar.

"No, Rose, it's happening again!" The madness. I'd never even thought about it until now.

"No! _NOTHING _is happening again! I'm just _so_ pissed off and I – just, _ cannot believe it! I'm really going to kill them!" she screamed, and as I was desperately trying to make sense of her words and believe her, she'd loosened my grasp, slipped away and sprinted down the hallway. I chased after her, listening to the revolting phrases ejaculating from her mouth. This was going to be bad, even if I got there in time to remove her from the public.

" – think about those rumours, now, huh?" Rose shrieked, howling with raucous laughter. I wrenched her away from whatever she was attacking, only concentrating on her, for if I lost my focus, we were both screwed.

"_Let go of me_, you bastard!" she shouted, writhing against me.

"I'll let you go if you can control yourself." Which wasn't likely.

"Let me _go_! He deserves it! He _CAN'T _believe the rumours. I'll make him forget!" I'd totally disregarded the boy on the floor. The poor kid was spotted with blood and twitched vaguely on the ground. It really demonstrated what Rose could do in just seconds of blind rage.

"Shit," I cursed in Russian, as I felt it was rude to use words like that to women in English, no matter how crazy they were thinking. "Rose, how could you do this?"

"He deserved it!" she moved harder within my hands.

"It's...inhumane!" I yelled and began to pull her to the doorway.

"I'm not going!" she protested stubbornly, kicking my shins. "I have to kill the fucker!" I could see very well that she wasn't going to cooperate so I grabbed her, flinging her body over my shoulder. She beat my back fiercely.

"Put me down! He deserves it, he does!" She cried in frustration, completely giving up the fight. I felt pity and love for her. Rose had just been controlled by something out of her power, and it was hurting the creatures she'd sworn to protect. I set her down in my room and locked the door. She shuffled towards the bed as I pulled out my cell and rang the med-clinic.

"This is Karen in the medical clinic."

"Dimitri Belikov here. I need assistance in the student kitchen. I won't be there. I'm keeping Rose here, so she doesn't go looking for anyone again. I'm sure you'll find the boy. And go down there immediately. "

"Okay, right away." I hung up and approached Rose, who was endlessly crying. I felt on the verge, too. The sight was heartbreaking. I stroked her exposed cheek.

"Rose?" I asked, wanting her to come to me. I wanted to help her, make her feel like no matter what she did, I would always be there for her. She didn't respond, so I folded her in my embrace, pressing my face into her hair. She turned towards me finally, and I held her tighter while she wept.

"I'm a monster," she sobbed, her breath becoming more heavy.

"You're not, Rose, don't say that." She looked up at me through her wet lashes for a moment, before turning her eyes downcast.

"But I am! Look at what I did! What I'm _doing_. I could have killed him so, so easily. I would have!"

"I know, but it's not your fault. You couldn't control it. It's over and it's not happening again," I assured her.

"Yes it will. But why did it take so long?" she sniffed.

"Maybe the power was dominated by stronger emotions?"

"No, maybe it was just me. Maybe I'm with this forever. Maybe it's permanently stuck inside of me. Or it's just my normal self."

"Rose...what you did wasn't normal." I comforted her as best as I could, and she sighed.

"I know, it was just completely fucked up." A laugh slipped through my lips as she once again described something in a few words what I spoke in an agonizingly long speech. Amazing!

"What's so funny?" she growled, irritated now.

"You always seem to know to express everything precisely in a matter of words. Fucked up is the exact phrase I would have chosen if I had a slack vocabulary." I probably did have a lousy vocabulary, for I still swore like a teenage boy. But I wasn't telling Rose that.

"Dimitri?" Rose looked sheepishly up at me.

"Yes, Roza?" I was hoping for her just to calm down and think positive about herself.

"Why do you bother? How can you love me after what a horrible bitch I've been to you, and everyone else – not just now, but other times, too! How can you love me? I'm not that great, Hell, I'm not even that damn good, I'm horrible!" she cried. I gawked at her. I think the spirit _was_ messing with her thoughts. She doubted our love. I made sure that would never – ever – happen again.

"That's the silliest question you've ever asked me. _Why do I bother_? I bother because you are the most tough, beautiful and considerate person I have ever met. I could go on forever about every little thing I adore about you. You could go to the lengths of the world to do whatever you believe in. And you did that to save me. You see right through my soul, and you know me better than I know myself! And you love me even though I read 'cheesy' novels, right?" At least I _tried _to lighten the mood.

"Right," she grumbled. I didn't do very well.

"You love me for who I am, flaws and all, I take it. I love you the same way. I don't want you to change anything about yourself. This may sound sappy, but I really do love everything that is you. And _that's_ why I bother. Do you understand?" I really hoped she did. Her face seemed defeated as she tried to make up her mind, and finally settled on one.

"Of course I understand. I love you, cheesy novels and all," she mumbled quietly, wrapping her arms about my neck and nuzzling her face into my throat, kissing.

"I love you, too. Now, it's been a long day and you have to be tired," I suggested. Rose covered her mouth, yawning.

"Now that you mention it, I _am_ drained."

We showered and readied ourselves for one of the most rewarding sleeps of our lives. Rose concluded in wearing adorable red underwear and a matching tank top. I instantly pulled her towards me as we'd lain on the bed. I'd kissed her and ran my fingers through her hair until she fell to sleep, and very soon after, I was dead to the world.

* * *

**WOW! My posting this was actually delayed, due to a huge Flame War I was in! (It's a Cyberfight!)  
**

**It was so great, because I won.**

**Here's a question for the readers: is anyone here a Troll? (That basically means they get into - or start - a lot of fights on websites)  
Here's an answer: I AM! :D It's too tempting to pass up.  
**


	7. My Explanations!

**Oh my deary gosh! I just posted a "new" chapter for this story, and after I posted it, I looked at the other one - and it was the same!**  
**I stayed up until 1:00am writing ALL of this chapter, when I didn't know that it was saved in another file :'( This is what you call an FML**

**I might take just a little longer to type a new chapter. Gawsh - I'm so stupid, aren't I? Well, to pass the time, you could read my more**  
**popular stories that are better than this one. I also update them quicker because they're my top priority. **

**I'll get to work as soon as I can, and I'm sorry, too for not updating!**


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